[nabs-l] Reading class material

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

All college students should register with their disability services
office on campus.  When you register, they should go through a list of
accommodations, and of course you can add in accommodations you feel are
necessary.

These accommodations should be sent to each instructor, each semester.
It is in your best interest to speak individually with instructors to go
over some of this though.

You can work privately with an instructor to ensure material is
accessible, but if this does not work, or instructors are unwilling to
comply, or it takes forever and a day to get the material, your first
step should be to contact your DSO.  They should act as a liaison
between you and instructors.

Your VR counselor actually does not have sway directly over these
matters.  Certainly they can speak with instructors to help explain
things, but it is the DSO that should ensure not only the accessibility
of material, but how quickly you receive material.

Even if your DSO is not great, there are certain laws stipulating your
right to accessible material in a timely fashion.

I usually take hard copies of hand outs to scan on my own, but if
instructors have electronic copies, they just email them to me.  I take
all my own notes, and I have never required another person to take notes
for me.  If I require an explanation during a lecture, or am not sure of
a spelling, I simply ask.  If the class is not conducive to asking
questions during lectures, or if I would have to constantly stop to ask
questions, holding the lecture up, I make arrangements to meet with the
instructor later, but I have never encountered this situation.

When I have material, like Powerpoints or inaccessible PDF's, I take it
to my DSO and they format it for me.  Now, I may have to remind them to
send it when I need it, but I also understand this is my responsibility
since the DSO has other students they are doing things for.

I also have spoke with instructors about inaccessible material, and in
four years, all of my instructors have been willing to do what they can
as well as allowing me to guide them through the process since I am the
blind student and know what I need.  I have had instructors convert PP's
into Word documents, send hard copy material electronically, ensure
during group projects that classmates send me material in electronic
formats.  I have been lucky, but begin with instructors-- most are
willing to work with you.

When dealing with classmates, this is where the system, in my
experience, can break down.  I make sure to copy instructors on all
emails sent to classmates, and if fellow students still fail to send
material in a timely fashion, I contact the instructor right away.  If
the material is not sent quickly, at least the instructor realizes it is
not your fault and should not penalize you for not having the material.
Being a creative writing major in a program based around the workshop
environment, I have tons of experience in this.  If classmates do not
email me with their manuscripts, I can not make comments and discuss
during workshop.  I do, however, take hard copies of student material to
scan in the event they do not send material electronically.  If
possible, I recommend taking any hard copy material offered beforehand
so you are covered.  If you can not scan on your own, your DSO should
provide this service, though you will have to give them time.

I would only go through your counselor if your DSO is not helping.  This
is how the hierarchy should work.

Bridgit

Message: 16
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 22:00:55 -0400
From: <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list"
	<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [nabs-l] reading class matterial
Message-ID: <98EF1F44D6B54BB78539681BE700454E at OwnerPC>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="utf-8"

Hi all,

I?m experiencing trouble again getting accessible matterial even though
I asked for it when the semester began and its in my memo of
accomodation. What I mean is I need powerpoints and handouts in
electronic format!  We have presentations in grammar class and many
either have handouts, powerpoint or both. I?m at a disadvantage without
them.  The instructor said she?d put them in blackboard; another student
requested this and she agreed thinking it would help everyone. But this
wasn?t done and I emailed her for the handouts (both hers and the
student presenters) and have not heard anything.

These handouts are pretty important because the text book sucks; its so
technical and wordy and the professor breaks it down in her own words to
teach us in a more understandable way.  
Do you all have this trouble?

So should I tell my disability counselor  and she tell the professors?
I wonder; I am getting frustrated.  Its more a issue in applied grammar,
not communication. But two weeks ago the professor used powerpoint to do
a lecture.  He usually uses the board.

So how long does it take instructors to send you matterial?  Do you ask
them a few times before going above them?

Ashley